Which new fuel-cell car just went to its first customer in California?

What emissions rule did the EPA loosen this week?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending Jan. 4, 2018.

In this short New Year's week, the news seemed like it was all about Tesla, albeit in most cases in incremental changes.

First, at the end of the year, the company appointed two new independent directors as required under the SEC settlement with CEO Elon Musk regarding his tweet in August about taking the company private. The company named Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, a former human resources executive at Walgreens and Kellogg, and in a controversial move, Musk friend and famous Silicon Valley playboy Larry Ellison

Tesla Model 3 all-wheel drive Performance rolls off a new assembly line in a temporary structure

Tesla Model 3 all-wheel drive Performance rolls off a new assembly line in a temporary structure

The company announced record sales numbers of almost 100,000 cars for the final quarter of the year, and it cut prices on all its models by $2,000 after the onset of the new year dropped tax credits on the company's cars. Even after the price cut, the company's cheapest model costs $9,000 more than its long-promised $35,000 base model. The company updated its latest entry-level model, the Mid Range Model 3 to show 264 miles of estimated range—four more than before. To boost sales, the company announced it will soon sell the Model 3 in China, along with Europe and the U.S.

2019 Hyundai Nexo, Topanga Canyon, CA, Oct 2018

2019 Hyundai Nexo, Topanga Canyon, CA, Oct 2018

The week revealed milestones for three new cars: Hyundai delivered its first new Nexo fuel-cell car to a customer in Southern California, marking the third fuel-cell vehicle on the market, along with the Toyota Mirai and the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell. Volvo teased an image of its first new electric car expected near the end of the year—the Polestar 2 from the company's upcoming performance brand. It previews and is based on Volvo's namesake brand's first electric car, the XC40 electric, which will follow months later. And Toyota unveiled its first fully self-driving system on a new Lexus LS sedan, a comfy living room to keep passengers comfy and entertained.

Volkswagen mobile DC fast charger

Volkswagen mobile DC fast charger

VW revealed a concept for new portable DC fast chargers to use in urban areas and at large events, for example.

A new report by Black Book, which tracks used-car resale values, showed that for the first time depreciation on electric cars has slowed down and in some cases even reversed.

Finally, the EPA continued its rollback of environmental controls by loosening standards for mercury emissions on coal-fired powerplants. The move could leave electric cars open to more criticism about the "upstream" emissions they create at powerplants.

_______________________________________

Follow Green Car Reports on Facebook and Twitter